Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s2.t16: XXV. Tiruchirapalli - A

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s2.t16

Language: English

XXV. Tiruchirapalli - A

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**Locus** On the northern face of the Rockfort hill in the passage to the cave on the western side (see Fig. 1.15). The inscription is lost. Edited from an old and not very legible estampage.

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**Publ.** *ARE* 139/1937-38. IM:68/1966.

1. The first three or four letters in the estampage are too illegible to be made out.
2. The last three letters are read tentatively.
3. The reading *ku pa ga gha ri* in *ARE* seems to suggest that the inscription has been read upside down.

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XXVI. EDAKAL - A (எடக்கல் - அ) - 1

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**79. A.** **o pa ṉa¹ pa vi ra a**

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¹ The letter appears to be *ṉa*, even though there is a superfluous stroke at lower left.

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**B.** **opaṉapa² vira-a³**

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² *oppaṉappa* (*oppaṉ*=*appa*). Cf. LT *oppu* 'beauty'; *-apa-* (*-appa-*) from *appaṉ*, honorific suffix (masc.).

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³ Read *vīra-a*. The genitive suffix *-a* is added after elision of the PNG suffix *-aṉ*.

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ஒபனப விரஅ

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(The writing⁴) of Oppaṉappa Vīra(ṉ).

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⁴ From the context, as no votive objects are associated with the inscription in this cave.

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Figure 8.38. EDAKAL-A 2 Inscription No. *80*

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EDAKAL - A (எடக்கல் - அ) - 2

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80. A. ka ṭu ma mi¹ pu² ta ce ra $³

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B. *kaṭummiputa⁴ cēra⁵*

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கடும்மிபுத சேர

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Kaṭumiputta, the Cēra.

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Notes

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1. The *-i* medial stroke is added to the left limb of the letter.
2. The tall vertical line seen between the 4th and 5th letters is apparently part of the earlier rock carvings which fill the walls of this cave.
3. A symbol, probably the palm tree, insignia of the Cēra dynasty. See section 5.18.
4. A hybrid Tamil-Prakrit expression. Cf. LT *kaṭumān*. Cf. *satiyaputō* (No. **59**). See Commentary for discussion.
5. The earliest inscriptional occurrence of the dynastic name *cēra*. See section 4.3.3.

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EDAKAL - A (எடகல் - அ) - 3

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**81.** **A.** **ko pū ti vi ra**

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**B.** ***kō pūti*¹ *vira*²**

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கோ பூதி விர

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Pūti Vīra, the chieftain.

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EDAKAL - A (எடக்கல் - அ) - 4

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82. **A.** **ko [v]ā¹ tā ṉa²**

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**B.** *kō-[v]=ātāṉ³*

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கோ [வ]ாதான்

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Ātaṉ, the king.

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| **ILL.** | Estampage: Pl. 37 (Nos. *81-82*, right segment). |
| **Locus** | The fourth inscription on the north rock wall of the cave. A deep slanting cleft forms a natural dividing line between Nos. *81 & 82*. This inscription has also been obliterated by modern graffiti scribbled over it on the soft rock. Edited from the estampage by E. Hultzsch published in Fawcett 1901. |
| **No. of lines** | 1 |
| **Length** | See scale in Fawcett 1901. |
| **Date** | ca. 3rd century A.D. |
| **Publ.** | *ARE* 123[B]/1897. *SII.* VI:No. 77[B]. |
| | F. Fawcett 1901:Estampage No. 4 (right); Pl. VI, Fig. 1 (right). |
| | I. Mahadevan and S. Swaminathan 1998: pp. 20-29. I. Mahadevan 1999: pp. 1-19 (with Pl.). |
| **Notes** | |
| 1. | The second letter is engraved over the earlier rock carvings. |
| 2. | The last letter is engraved at a higher register to avoid the earlier rock carving seen just below. |
| 3. | Read *-ātaṉ*. Cf. *kō ātaṉ* (Nos. *61 & 62*). See section 4.3.3. It is possible that the orthography is archaic. See n.6, No. **52**. |

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[Figure: Figure 8.39. XXVII. NEKANURPATTI

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Tracing. Scale: one-fifth.]